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May 13, 2013
Tenn. Governor Haslam Vetoes Anti-Whistleblower Bill
Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed the anti-whistleblower “ag-gag” bill, SB 1248/HB 1191, after hearing from thousands of Tennesseans urging the veto and a report deeming the bill constitutionally suspect by the Tennessee Attorney General.
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May 9, 2013
USDA Indicates 76 Percent of Horses Tested at 2012 Walking Horse Celebration Found Positive for Foreign Substances
In contrast to the two foreign substance violations reported by the Tennessee walking horse industry at the 2012 National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn., the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s testing revealed that 145 horses out of 190 tested, or 76 percent, were found positive.
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May 3, 2013
Bill to Criminalize Animal Cruelty Whistlblowers Reaches Governor’s Desk, Continues to Draw Criticism
As the anti-whistleblower “ag-gag” bill SB1248 was finally transmitted to Gov. Bill Haslam for his decision – two weeks after being passed by the legislature – more than 300 Tennessee clergy joined First Amendment and animal welfare groups urging a veto
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May 1, 2013
Tennessee Ad Calls for Governor to Veto Whistleblower Suppression Bill
The Humane Society of the United States has placed a full-page advertisement in The Tennessean as the latest in the deluge of criticism that has met anti-whistleblower “ag-gag” bill, SB1248, at every step of the legislative process.
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April 25, 2013
Maryville Horse Trainer’s Horses Seized in Soring Investigation
Authorities seized 19 horses who may have been subjected to the cruel practice of “soring” from a Maryville, Tenn., barn and transported them to safety.
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April 22, 2013
Tennessee TV Ads Call for Governor to Veto Whistleblower Suppression Bill
At a press conference at the state capitol, The Humane Society of the United States and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville District 13, screened a new television commercial showing violent abuse of horses from an investigation into the Tennessee walking horse industry. The commercial is the latest effort by The HSUS to urge Gov. Bill Haslam to veto SB1248, the special interest “ag-gag” bill.
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April 19, 2013
Tennessee Governor Urged to Veto Whistleblower Suppression Bill
The Humane Society of the United States urged Gov. Bill Haslam to veto Tennessee’s notorious anti-whistleblower, or “ag-gag,” bill, SB1248, which would make it a crime for reputable non-profit organizations and journalists to document and expose unethical and illegal activity in horse stables and at industrial agriculture facilities.
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April 12, 2013
A Sore Subject: The Tennessee Walking Horse Industry
The high-stepping stride of the Tennessee Walker has long entertained equestrians in the South. But the gait of these splendid animals too often comes at a cost, when they are intentionally made to suffer for the sake of the spectacle.
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April 12, 2013
Legislation to End Rampant Cruelty in Tennessee Walking Horse Competitions Endorsed by Animal Welfare Organizations
Animal welfare organizations applaud members of Congress for introducing federal legislation to stop the cruel practice of “soring”—the deliberate infliction of pain to the hooves and legs of horses to produce an artificial high-stepping gait that gains unfair competitive advantage at horse shows.
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April 1, 2013
Tennessee Grand Jury Indicts Former Tennessee Walking Horse Trainer Jackie McConnell
Court documents reveal a Fayette County Grand Jury has indicted infamous horse abuser Jackie McConnell and two co-defendants on 38 counts of animal cruelty for illegally soring and torturing horses as documented in a Humane Society of the United States undercover investigation conducted in 2011.





